At 26, she manages an investment portfolio and a financial career, and believes in two stocks
When Noam Ashdod received her first pay slip in high school, she discovered her passion for the world of finance. Today, she is a 26-year-old financial planner with a structured investment agenda that includes a lot of patience and zero Bitcoin. And also: 2 Israeli stocks she believes in.
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Every week we interview new investors in the capital market, tracing their investment patterns and insights alongside their personal stories. Interested in participating? Write to us at Invest@Globes.co.il
Who am I
Noam Ashdod, 26, from Haifa. Owner of a financial planning business; lecturer in finance and investments at colleges, universities, and non-profit organizations.
The story of Noam Ashdod begins not with a deal or a tip, but with a pay slip. As a high school student working as an acrobatics coach, she received her first pay slip and opened a bank account. "It drove me crazy that I would get up every morning, go to school, and no one would explain to me what money is, what a pay slip is, or how I could maximize these resources," she says. "It burned very strongly in me."
Her reaction was unusual: she built a structured plan to introduce financial literacy into the education system. "Unfortunately, the plan did not receive a response at the time, but since then it has occupied me, if not for others, then at least for myself."
After military service, she earned a bachelor's and then a master's degree in business administration at the Ruppin Academic Center, while working in investment houses and lecturing. Today, she also leads a project at Ruppin, together with Prof. Karin Amit, designed to connect students with practice in the financial world.
The field she works in—financial planning—is relatively new in Israel. "It is a holistic process that provides a comprehensive answer to all financial assets," she explains. "We review all pension assets, available funds, alternative investments, and real estate, building a strategy that suits all time horizons—short, medium, and long term. We look at everything as one family unit."
When I started to get interested in the capital market
"The first steps were understanding how the world of compound interest works. The fact that my money can produce more money, and understanding the risks. It is about knowing which money I need in the short term, and which money I can let work for me over time by taking more risk. Ultimately, even our pension funds are money invested in the capital market. The goal is to maximize the picture from both tax and investment aspects."
Ashdod obtained a dual license as an investment marketer from the Securities Authority and a pension license from the Ministry of Finance, establishing a business to fill the gap she identified as a teenager.
Lesson I learned
"My most important conclusion is that time in the market will always beat market timing. The capital market is a place where money changes hands from people without patience to those who have a lot of patience. Give the money time, and in the end, it corrects and goes up, often reaching much higher levels."
Quick questionnaire
Twitter or Telegram: "Both. They provide a lot of knowledge and a broad picture of the market."
Bitcoin or Ethereum: "Neither one nor the other."
TA-35 or S&P 500: "Both. It is a matter of currency and sectoral diversification. In Israel, real estate and banks are strong, while in the S&P 500, technology leads. It is a more interesting diversification for a portfolio."
Indices or stocks: "It depends. Investing in specific stocks requires deep analysis, while indices provide significant diversification. I personally believe in both."
Bank account or investment house: "Definitely an investment house, just not a bank."
I will never invest in...: "I don't want to say 'never,' but the world of cryptocurrencies is something I am not investing in right now. It is very hard for me to invest in something that has no supervision, no country or army behind it, and no tangible value."
Tracking recommendation
Ashdod highlights two global Israeli companies. "The first is Teva. After falling by over 90% from its peak, the company is presenting a deep recovery process under new management. The tracking here is on the management team's ability to translate the vision of moving from generics to innovative drugs into stable cash flow."
"The second is Mobileye. It has technology that positions it as one of the only realistic competitors to Tesla in autonomous driving. The market, in my opinion, has not yet priced the true value and potential of its growth engines. The most interesting event to follow now is the appointment of the next CEO, as a change in management will determine how the company realizes its technological advantage."
The above does not constitute investment advice.
